Starting apparatus for organs



(No Model.)

I. H. SPENCER. STARTING'APPARATUS FOR ORGANS.

No. 553,695'. atente@ Jan. 28, 1896.

Q60 54 fro Inventor: [740/ HSpencel;

Y Atw'nqy Witnesses:

B GRAHAM. PHOTDUTHO. WASHI NGTON. D C

' UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

IRA Il. SPENCER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

STARTING APPARATUS FOR ORGANS.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,695, dated January 28, 1896.

Application filed Ap1-i111,1895. Serial N0. 545,271. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom may concern.-

Be it known that l, IRA 1I. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at llart ford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Apparatus for Organs, of which the following is a speciication. y

This invention relates to an improvement in starting and controlling` apparatus for organs or other instruments of that class operated by air; and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for starting organs or similar instruments by means of an apparatus which will be simple and durable in construction, and which will permit the storage-bellows, the feeder-bellows, the beln lows-motor and its accompan ying' mechanism, together with the organ, to be started without shock, jar, or noise; and the invention relates', especially, to starting organs of large size without attracting the attention of a congregation by reason of the noise and jar usually appel-taining thereto.

A further object of the invention is to permit the bellows-motor and its accompanying mechanism to be started with gradually-increasing speed and to be controlled during the operation of the organ so as to limit the speed with which air is supplied by means of the storage-bellows to the wind-chests.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved starting and controlling' apparatus, showing its connection with the valve of the bellows-motor and showing the storage and feeding bellows in connection with said motor or engine. Fig. 2 is also a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the improved starting and controlling apparatus, a portion thereof being in dotted linesto show the operation of ,the same. Fig. is a vertical section of the preferred form of controlling device herein shown, taken in line a a, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a front view of the slotted plate for the starting-lever of the controlling device.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

This invention in the preferred form thereof herein shown and described consists of any suitable bracket frame or support, as 10, connected to the organ by means of a plate 11, set into the front thereof or into the front support for the organ, as shown in Fig. 1. This frame 10, however, may be connected to the organ at any other suitable place, or to the iioor which supports the organ, as may be desired.

The plate 11 is provided with a slot 12, enlarged at its lower end, as shown at 13, to form an offset 13. A suitable lever 14, pro vided at its outer end with a treadle or foot -portion 15 and with a wedge-shaped portion 14', adapted to fit the offset 13, is pivoted to the frame 10, preferably at the rear side thereof, as at 142, and is adapted to work in the slot l2. When the frame 10 is connected to the front of the organ or the front support thereof by means of the plate 1l, said organ front or support 10' is slotted adjacent to the slot in the plate 11 to permit said lever 14 to work therein. The lever 14 is connected by any suitable means to a pressure-weight 16, adjacent to the top of the usual storage-bellows 2O of any suitable construction. The preferred means of connection herein shown consists of a cord 17, connected to the lever near its outer free end in the rear of the plate 11, as at 18, and extends over pulleys 19 and 21 to a bell-crank lever 22, with which it is connected, one end of said lever, as 23, being connected to the pressure-weight 16 by means of a cord 24'. A cord 2G connects the other end 23' of said bell-crank lever with the upper end of a second bell-crank lever 27, andv a cord 28 connects the lower end of said bellcrank lever 27 to the lever of the supply-valve 29, located in the supply-pipe of the feederbellows motor or engine, which may be of any suitable construction. vers 22 and 27 are pivoted to suitable beams or supports near the organ or the starting apparatus and at any suitable place thereon.

A horiZontally-swin gin g lever 32, supported by any suitable means on the floor upon which the organ rests, or at any other suitable place, the preferred means herein shown being an upright 34, is pivoted, as at 31, to the lower plates or beds of the feeder-bellows 60, and is connected to the piston-rod of the motor or engine by means of a suitable rod The feeder-bellows of the usual construc- These bell-crank le- IOO tion are connected to and supply air to the storage-bellows 20.

The speed regulator or device for controlling the amount of air admitted to the storage-bellows, in the preferred form thereof herein shown and described, consists of a cylinder 40, provided with a removable head 41 having a removable stul'ling-box i2 therein for the piston-rod. This cylinder, in the preferred form thereof herein described, is connected to the lever 1t at any suitable place thereon by any suitable means, as herein shown, and it is preferably connected to the lever 1l near the middle thereof, as shown at t3, by means of downwardly-projecting lugs it, integral with said cylinder, and a screw it. The lever 1t is preferably cut away, as at 15', to permit said lever to be raised and lowered a greater distance with relation to the lower edge of said cylinder.

The cylinder il), for eontainin g any suitable lluid, is provided with a partition to integral with the heads of said cylinder, forming a pistoncompartment t5 and a fluid-passage yit). A regulating-valve connected to said cylinder near one of the apertures i7 for regulating the tlow of iluid in said passage. As herein shown, in the preferred form thereof, said regulating-valve comprises a threaded stem 48, adapted to work in the lower aperture t7, said stem being provided on its outer end with a head tf), located on the exterior of the cylinder, for turning said stem inward or outward to close the aperture 4-7. lVoi-liing in the cylinder is a suitable piston, (designated generallyas 50,) consisting` of the usual piston-rod 51 and head 51, said head being provided with any suitable packing for inaking the same close titting with relation tothe cylinder. rlhc piston-rod 51 is connected in the preferred forni thereof, as herein described, at its upper end to the frame 10, as at 52. If desired, the connection of this piston and cylinder with the frame or support and lever might be reversed and the pistonrod be connected to the lever 1l, while the cylinder, by means of its lugs sli-t, or by any other suitable means, might be connected to the frame or support. A suitable tiuid is placed in the cylinder and forms a certain amount of resistance to the movement of the piston, thereby controlling the movements of the lever 1l and regulating the feed of the bellows-motor 30.

lt will be understood that the frame 1t) can be made of any suitable shape. As herein shown, in the preferred form thereof, the :frame is made substantially as shown in the drawings, in order to inclose the same in a small space. lt will also be understood that the traine maybe entirely dispensed with, and the lever and piston-rod or cylinder and lever may, if desired, be connected to any suitable support.

In the use of my improvements when it is desired to start the organ the lever 1st, being in the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1, and

holding the weight adjacent the top olf the storage-bellows in raised position, is pressed downward and sidewise against the pressure. of said weight, thereby releasing said lever from the offset 13 and permitting the weight to descend, causing said lever to graduallyv rise by means of its controlling device, and by means of the bell-crank levers 22 and 2T to open the valve of the supply-pipe of the bellows-motor and to permit the piston in said motor to reciprocate to force the feeder bellows 00 to supply air to the storage-bellows 20. Vhcn the storage-bellows 2() is filled up to a given limit the top thereof rises and forces said weight 1G upward and permits the starting-lever to gradually descend by means of its own weight and controlling device, and thereby permits the valve in the supply-tape to close and gradually cut oft' the supply to the bellows-motor. lYhcn it is desired to entirely stop the supply of air to the storage-bellows 20, the lever is depressed its full play in the slot 12 and permitted to slip into the offset 13, thereby permitting the valve in the supply-pipe to eut off the supply to the bellows'niotor and so stop the re ciprocatory movement of the piston and the consequent stoppage of the feeder-bellows et). lVhen the lever 11' is released to start the motor, said lever will not rise with a jerk, as would be the ease by the sudden descent of the weight 1G without my controlling device, but by means of my controlling device will rise gradually, and thereby permit the statt ing of the bellowsanotor and its connecting mechanism without shock or jar eitherto Athe annoyance of an audience or to the injury of the delicate parts of the organ.

By means of the improved controllin device hercin shown I am not only enabled to start the supply of air te the storage-bellows without shock or jar and with a gradual movement of the mechanism, so that neither the organ nor the parts Yforming the starting mechanism will be liable to get out of order; but I am enabled to cut eff the supply of air by a gradual movement or to partially eut the saine off by a gradual movement withoutviolent motion of the lever or connecting mechanism, and thereby prevent any jar or shock to the organ and its delicate parts, and also by means of the said improved control ling device the lever 1st can be suddenly released by the operator at any moment wilh out causing any jar by means of the lever falling or rising in connection with the weighted top of the storage-bellowsl claim as my invention 1. ln a starting and controlling device for organs, the combination with the motor provided with a supply-valve; of a feedeisbellows; mechanism connecting said feeder-bellows and motor; a starting-lever; means for connecting said lever with the sujjiply-valve of themotor; means for operating said lever; means for controlling the movements of said starting-lever; and a storage-bellows con- IIO nected with said feeder-bellows, and adapted to operate said starting-lever.

2. In a starting and controlling device for organs, the combination With the motor provided with a supply-valve; of a feeder-bellows connected with said motor, a startinglever connected With the supply-valve of the motor; means for operating said lever; means for controlling the movement of said startinglever; and a storage-bellows connected With said feeder-bellows, and adapted to operate said starting-lever.

In a starting and controlling device for organs, in combination With a support; of the motor provided With a supply-valve; a feederbellows connected with said motor; a startin g-lever connected With said supply-valve of the motor; means for operating said lever; a storage-bellows connected With said feederbellows, and adapted to operate said starting-lever; and a cylinder connected to said lever and provided with a piston connected to said support, for regulating the speed of said lever.

4. In a starting and controlling device for organs, the combination with the motor provided with a supply-valve; of a feeder-bellows connected With said motor; a startinglever connected with the supply-valve of the motor; a Weight connected with said lever for operating the same; means for controlling the movement of said starting-lever; and a storage-bellows connected with said feederbellows, and adapted to operate said Weight.

5. In a starting and controlling device for organs, in combination With a support; of a motor provided With a supply-valve; a feederbellows connected with said motor; a startin g-lever connected With said supply-valve of the motor; means for operating said lever; a storage-bellows connected With said feederbellows, and adapted to operate said lever; and a controlling device for said starting lever connected to said support and lever.

6. In a starting and controlling device for organs, the combination with a support; a motor provided With a supply-valve; a feederbellows connected With said motor; a starting-lever connected With said supply-valve of the motor; means connected-With said lever for operating the same; a storage-bellows in operative connection With the lever-operatin g means and with the feeder-bellows; a cylinder, adapted to contain a fluid, pivoted to said lever, and having a partition therein provided With apertures forming a fluid-passage; means for regulating the flow of iiuid in said passage; anda piston Working in said cylinder and pivoted to said frame, whereby said lever Will be controlled during its movement, substantially as described.

7. In a starting andcontrolling device for organs, the combination with a motor provided with a supply-valve; of a feeder-bellows connected with said motor; a startinglever connected with the supply-valve of the motor; means for operating said lever; means for controlling the movement of said starting lever; and a storage-bellows connected With said feeder-bellows and in operative connection With said lever-operating means, substantially as described.

S. In a starting and controlling device for organs, the combination with a motor and with a feeder and storage-bellows; of a starting-lever operatively connected With said motor, and adapted to be operated by said storage-bellows; and a controlling device for said lever, whereby the movement thereof will be regulated, substantially as described.

9. In a starting and controlling device for organs, the combination With a support; of a motor provided With a supply-valve; a feederbellows connected with said motor; a starting-lever connected with the supply-valve of the motor; means connected with said lever for operating the same; a storage-bellows in operative connection with the feeder-bellows and with the lever-operating means; and a controlling device pivoted to said frame and lever for regulating the movement of said lever, and comprising a cylinder adapted to contain a fluid, a partition therein having an aperture and forming a duid-passage and a piston Working in said cylinder, substantially as described.

10. In an organ apparatus, a starting and controlling device, comprising an inclosing bracket embodying a base-bar, a slotted front plate having an offset adjacent to the slot thereof, and a bar connecting said front plate and base-bar and having an approximately U-shaped extension; a lever pivoted to the bracket adjacent to the rear end of the basebar and adapted to reciprocate in said slotted plate and be held in its normal position by the offset; and a controlling device for regulating the movement of said lever, pivoted to said lever and to the approximately U -shaped extension of the bracket, substantially as described.

1l. In an organ apparatus, a starting and controlling device, comprising an inclosing bracket embodying a base-bar, a slotted front plate having an offset adjacent to the slot thereof, and a bar connecting said front plate and base-bar and having an approximately U-shaped extension; a lever pivoted to the bracket adjacent to the rear end of the basebar, and adapted to reciprocate in said slotted plate and be held in its normal position by the offset; and a controlling device for regulating the movement of said lever, comprising a cylinder pivoted to said lever and a piston Working therein, and pivoted to the substantially U shaped extension of the bracket, substantially as described.

IRA I-I. SPENCER. Witnesses:

FRED. J DOLE, BENTON N. PARKER.

IIO 

